Rising Shadow
by xXFrostKittenXx
Summary: Yuugi is the youngest son of the current ruler of the realm in a world where all military and nobility have a dragon companion. When he bonds with his dragon and it is revealed to be female instead of male, rather than stay in the public eye, he is sent to train with the Stealth Corps, a part of the military that is shrouded in mystery. Please read and review!
1. Prologue

_When the shadow rises once more,_

_The realm will be pulled back from the brink of destruction._

Many years ago, there was a spiky haired ruler who rode a pure black dragon. He rode it into a battle against a rival people from across the sea in the middle of a stormy night and came back victorious, bearing the rival banner as proof, burning it at dawn to signify the beginning of a new era. The enemy armies disappeared overnight.

But the ruler paid a hefty price for his win. Sunset found him in a small shrine with his dragon. He sat himself in a throne, and his dragon stood on its hind legs behind him, one paw raised, the other on the top of the throne, wings spread. As the last rays of the sun died, the shadows of the evening left flesh as crystal.

No one realized what happened until the next morning, when the ruler's youngest brother realized he hadn't yet returned home from his walk. It took days to find the shrine the ruler had built, because it was so far from the ruler's usual haunts. By the time they found him, any chance of the spell being reversed was long gone. And the prophecy promising his return was carved into the stone floor.

To this day, those words have never faded, not by rain, or wind, or snow, or sleet, despite the fact that there isn't an actual front wall to the shrine. Many suspect the magic that crystallized the ruler is preserving the prophecy. I suspect they are right.

At one point, there was a festival dedicated to honoring the ruler, as well as the gods who lent him the magic to make the win possible. These days, though, it's just an excuse for a party for friends and family. Instead, the ruler is honored in the everyday deeds of the Stealth Corps, a special squadron of dragon riders in the realm's military. They are the most courageous, most honorable soldiers you could ever hope to meet.

The Stealth Corps is very particular in their selection of new recruits. Their training grounds are hidden deep within the forest, and potential recruits are tested every step of the way there. Every dragon must be black, midnight blue, dark purple, or charcoal colored. Every operation is run at night, so riders must have excellent night senses. It is the wish of every young man to be accepted by them, even if they know it's impossible for one reason or another.

As time marches onward, fewer and fewer people give recognition to the ruler and the gods who assisted him. I don't think the ruler would mind, if he knew; he was only human, after all, and a humble one at that. More and more people scoff at the idea of one man and his dragon defeating an entire army.

Their disbelief will be the undoing of us all, as they lead our society into a future where magic and miracles disappear due to lack of belief. They will be the first to be swallowed by the evil.

Wake up, now. The sun is rising. It burns away this dream, this nightmare. Already, your heart rate slows as the details fade away. By the time you leave this place of dreams, you will be completely unable to recall my message.

But don't worry. You will remember soon. But if there is one thing I can request of you, it is this: visit the shrine. No one has been there in many years. I am sure your ancestor is lonely, Yuugi.

**A/N: Hey, everyone! Welcome to my next adventure in the world of fanfiction. This story is called Rising Shadow, as you can see. Expect sporadic updates: I'm winging this one. Criticism is always welcome, just don't flame! Brownies if you read this, cake if you review!**

**Bakura: Don't listen to her, the cake's a lie.**

**Me: Kura! Don't say that, or they won't review, and I might not finish this story!**

**Atem: You better finish. I refuse to be stuck in a world with no proper ending.**

**Me: Wow, you sure are demanding. No wonder Kura hates your guts.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I keep forgetting these on a lot of my stories. Sorry! I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. That honor belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.**

_Visit the shrine. I'm sure your ancestor is lonely._

Yuugi stared up at the portrait of his ancestor, the legendary Atem, the ruler who single-handedly crushed an entire army in one night. They looked alike; both had spiky, tri-colored hair, black with red tips and blonde bangs. The main difference between them was the eyes; Yuugi had wide, innocent amethyst eyes, while Atem's were sharp and blood-red.

At the moment, they had even adopted the same pose. Atem was sitting on the grass, trees and shadows behind him, daisies sprouting up randomly, his legs tucked underneath him. He had his head on his arms, his face peaceful, lying on his dragon's shoulder. Yuugi was curled up in a similar position in an armchair directly in front of the portrait, his arms on the arm of the chair instead of on a dragon.

He wondered if he would even have the opportunity to visit Atem's shrine before the ceremony tomorrow. He had brought it up to his father, but the man had avoided the question with a skill born of many years buried in politics. He considered asking one of the guards to take him down, but he doubted they would without a direct yes from his father, which wasn't likely to be given.

The ceremony—he was so nervous. It was with that ceremony that he would be officially announced as the heir to the throne. He hated crowds, he hated public speaking, and tomorrow he would be expected to do both, and hopefully without passing out. Maybe he should just go to the shrine? It wasn't too far away, maybe a half hour on horseback, and it might calm him down. He could be there and back in plenty of time.

Making his decision, Yuugi uncurled himself and stood, padding quietly out into the hall. A quick glance told him there was no one in the hall—

"My prince!"

—except that someone had just rounded the corner. Damnit, the guards always came around at the worst times!

Yuugi fixed a bright smile on his face, trying to hide his disappointment. Guards only came to get him when his father needed him for something, and it could take hours to sort everything out.

He was right; his father and the advisors all wanted to go over the ceremony—in detail. Very exquisite detail, Yuugi noted, staring at the sketches, scripts, and various other scrolls that littered the conference table. There was no way he was getting away before midnight, he thought with an internal groan.

It was almost one-thirty when he stumbled back into his study, so tired his eyes itched, but his mind was buzzing. He didn't fall asleep for almost an hour. Thankfully, the ceremony wasn't until evening, so he could sleep in a little before he was expected to be up for preparations.

As he drifted off to sleep, thinking about the flower arrangements that would be on the tables—white roses on the head table, Rosa Peace on the rest—and the tablecloths—royal purple would be his choice, but the advisors were probably putting in a lighter shade to match the Rosa Peace—he could have sworn dragon-shaped shadows were dancing around his bed. Far from being afraid, he felt completely at peace when he saw them, for all they had sharp fangs and long claws; he felt like they would protect him from anything. Dragons darting through the closed glass of the window, tasting the starlight before rushing back to check on him…twining through the curtains around his bed and around the bed posts, turning wary eyes to the door before gazing at him lovingly…midnight blue and dark red flitting on the edges of his vision just before darkness swallowed him…

oO00Oo

Yuugi woke the next morning, feeling completely refreshed and looking forward to the day. Even the thought of the ceremony that evening didn't daunt him, a surprising change for him because he had been so nervous about it before—and if anything, he should be even more nervous now, the day of the big event.

But he just couldn't manage it. What could he say? He felt like he had dragons watching over him.

**A/N: So, I realized I had left this alone for months—way too long. I know you guys were all waiting for the next installment. Sorry!**

**Bakura: Don't listen, she's not sorry at all! *glares***

**Me: Liar! You're just jealous that I haven't worked you in yet—but don't worry, it's soon. And I'm already getting after Chapter 2, so hopefully I can update again soon. Like I mentioned before, I'm winging this one, so as the muse strikes me…**

**Atem: Do I have an actual part in this, at least?**

**Me: Not sure yet. **

**Atem: *glares death and destruction***

**Me: What part of "winging it" aren't you getting? Anyways, read and review, comments are love! Please don't flame, brownies to my readers, ice cream if you review this one. 3**


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